Rear hatch sub enlosure

[99gatorbird]

I have a 99 V6 firebird. I am trying to be cheap and save some money by building a box to enclose the hole on the driver side. I see custom boxes running between 112-399. Is there a site with blue prints. Or should i save the headache and just buy one, i think i have the knowledge to build one.Thanks

[Takumi Fujiwara]

Do waht I did, Get a Truck box, and have it sit in your trunk, the wedge right inbetween the trunk unlatch and the flat part in the back, and if you face it down it makes the bass 2x louder. Sounds awesome. My sonly Xplod POS out bumps most of my friends system cause the way Ive done it like this. and it only cost me 35 for a good box.

[99gatorbird]

I am looking to buy or build the stealth box that fits in the little hole on the driver side. So far subthump has the best price with the best box. Some other sites had plastic boxes, which i am not a fan of. Subthump's box is made of MDF.
Thanks

[TrixTeR]

I wouldn't really recommend making a box to fit that hole because it would be extremely difficult unless you are really good with woodworking and have all the nessesary tools.

I'm making a box right now similar to supthump's T-Top one. I'm going on vacation today but when i get back next week i'll finish it up and post pictures.

[99gatorbird]

Cool man , yeh hit me up with some picts would love to see. Stupid question what do you do with your T-tops if you have a box back there? I heard the old camaros and firebirds used to have t-tops bags?is this an option?
Thanks

[megabass]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by TrixTeR:
to supthump's T-Top one. I'm going on vacation today but when i get back next week i'll finish it up and post pictures.<hr></blockquote>

****, if you're going to copy my box, at least get the name right

[img]graemlins/thumbsdown.gif[/img]

[v6maro]

why dont u copywrite your designs man...
-Steve

[megabass]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by v6maro:
why dont u copywrite your designs man...
-Steve<hr></blockquote>


Don't know how. Do you? I should look into it. Any tips?

[zlexiss]

I built my own stealthbox out of MDF (3/4"), here's the basic steps I followed:

1. Make cardboard mockups first. If you're trying to fill as much space as possible, nothing will be square or at right angles. Took me 2 tries to get something that fit well in the space.

2. Test fit with the MDF before you glue. Duct tape the sides or just wedge them in there and make sure before you do permanent things.

3. Don't aim for perfect joints. I didn't bother to mitre the joint angles or anything. Some of my edges had 1/4" air gaps when I set the box together.

4. Screw screws and caulk. Epoxy resin is the way to go. Get a nice pint or quart kit, and a nice tub of Cab-O-Sil (fumed silica). The Cab-O-Sil, when mixed into the epoxy in the right amounts, will turn it from a thin syrup into a nice thick paste. Stuff the gaps full of epoxy, and if you thickened it enough, it won't run out. nice sealed corners in one step, with extra strength to boot.

5. Clean the box with dremel or similar. Carpet or whatever to your desires. Make sure to gasket the sub and plug the hole where your speaker wire is coming out (I used some silicone caulk) to make sure your sealed box is just that.

MDF from Home Depot.
Epoxy and Cab-O-Sil from www.fiberglasssupply.com
(these guys have tons of cool composites stuff for the small-medium project size)

If you've never worked with decent amounts of epoxy before, make sure you know what you're doing, as some properties (like the exothermic cure) get interesting as batch sizes go up. (I worked in a composites shop in a previous life)

I'll answer more questions if people post them, and a followup on the idea of copyrighting the subthump design - it's hockey time now :)

-Jeff

[DrMilhouse]

Unfortunately, even if it is copyrighted, it doesn't prevent joe blow from making a very similar box. Although, it DOES prevent joe blow from building a very similar box and selling it.

I don't have a clue how to go about it, but I'm sure that you could find more info by searching for it on the web.

To the original poster, good luck. Be sure to pick your own name for your box instead of taking one from Steve from his site [img]smile.gif[/img] With the incredible job that Steve does on his boxes, it could send out less than good publicity for him for you to say "Subthump box" or "Milhouse box" when what you've done is created something that looks like *** .

On the other side of that, if yours doesn't look like *** and you think it's better, you wouldn't want to say you duplicated someone else's ideas.

[zlexiss]

I gotta agree with the Dr on this one. Since designs for boxes that fit the extra space on the driver's side have existed for a while now, and are sold by at least a few different companies, getting a patent (which is what you'd want, covering an invention) is kind of unlikely.

That said, getting a trademark on the name "Subthump box" would keep anyone else from calling their enclosures by the same name.

[SlimJim1284]

I got a genuine subthump milhouse box and it kicks ***!!

[TrixTeR]

sorry meant subthump, i was in a hurry. :D

DrMilhouse is right, as long as someone doesn't build a very similar box and SELL it, it would not infringe on copy right laws (assuming it was copyrighted). Although i'm not exactly sure how you copyright a wooden box, either ;P

everything is copied from everywhere, there are very few NEW ideas in anything anymore.
if we were going to sue everyone for copying everything then MTX/Q-Logic could sue you for having 'similar' products, or crutchfield could sue you for using their 'add to cart/cart checkout' pictures ;)

[youngcamarokid]

I have a stealth box and I don't know what brand it is, but it fits soooo nice into the rear quarter panel... :D :D muuuuch better than any old cheapo box, looks AWESOME!! Sounds AWESOME!

[SlimJim1284]

go with the milhouse box from subthump. i know the price is up their but when i put it in all my friends that said that ate their words. It awsome, and when u want to put ur t-tops in the trunk just flip the box up with on the rear deck. check mine out. def. worth it, plus u can fit more than just one little sub.